![Cover for Sanford And Son [TV Show]](/images/displaymedia.php?id=25035&cat=3&sizew=70){kind=small}
Doesn't pack the same punch as City of God, but the characters are so engaging that viewers will forgive the overly familiar plot.
But the plot is familiar. Without giving too much away, there's not all that more to be said about the narrative. The boys try to find Wallace's father, they learn things about their fathers, and Midnight's reign is challenged by Fasto (Eduardo BR) and his followers, with the predictable shoot-outs. What saves this one is the level of humanity that's always in evidence, and the stylized way that Morelli approached the task of filming. As you watch this you'll see a little of the cinematic tricks that Steven Soderbergh used in "Traffic": the chopped-up, collage style narrative; the sped-up and slowed-down cameras; the odd angles; the deliberate use of graininess to support the gritty content; and the use of tints to impart a monochromatic look in certain scenes. This too adds interest. Still, this doesn't have the impact of "City of God," and that makes it a decent film, not one you'd run through the streets trumpeting.
Video:
Because of all the camera tricks this is a hard film to rate in terms of video quality, because so much is deliberate. The hand-held camera, the graininess, the blurred edges and quick cuts all obscure detail and impart a homemade movie roughness. "City of Men" is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and "enhanced" for 16x9 screens.
Audio:
The sound is also a little rough. The main track is a Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. There's an almost muted quality to the sound in many spots, and even when the gunfire pops up it's not nearly as dynamic as you'd expect. Then again, this isn't intended to be a slick movie. It's shot in documentary fly-on-the-wall style, and you have to believe that this too was a conscious decision. Still, I can picture this with a little more fullness of sound and it would certainly work just as well.
Extras:
The only bonus feature is a pretty by-the-numbers making-of feature, "Building A City of Man," which has the usual blend of interviews and behind-the-scenes clips intercut with scenes from the movie. The most interest comes from comparisons to "City of God."
Bottom Line:
"City of Men" doesn't pack the same punch as "City of God," but the characters are so engaging that viewers are likely to forgive the slender and overly familiar plot. And the director's stylized approach to realism is also oddly mesmerizing.
Video:
Because of all the camera tricks this is a hard film to rate in terms of video quality, because so much is deliberate. The hand-held camera, the graininess, the blurred edges and quick cuts all obscure detail and impart a homemade movie roughness. "City of Men" is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and "enhanced" for 16x9 screens.
Audio:
The sound is also a little rough. The main track is a Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. There's an almost muted quality to the sound in many spots, and even when the gunfire pops up it's not nearly as dynamic as you'd expect. Then again, this isn't intended to be a slick movie. It's shot in documentary fly-on-the-wall style, and you have to believe that this too was a conscious decision. Still, I can picture this with a little more fullness of sound and it would certainly work just as well.
Extras:
The only bonus feature is a pretty by-the-numbers making-of feature, "Building A City of Man," which has the usual blend of interviews and behind-the-scenes clips intercut with scenes from the movie. The most interest comes from comparisons to "City of God."
Bottom Line:
"City of Men" doesn't pack the same punch as "City of God," but the characters are so engaging that viewers are likely to forgive the slender and overly familiar plot. And the director's stylized approach to realism is also oddly mesmerizing.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]24287[/release]